The Twilight Advent
by Aberron
Summary: The Queen of the Awoken will not bow to the Taken King. Not in life, never in death, and risen again she will throw down the Taken King. Mara Sov has returned. This time, as a Guardian. Born in the edges of darkness, and raised again in the light, she will not be your average Guardian. Grim Dark.


Twilight Advent

Chapter 1 Fall From Grace

The green jewel pulsed once, brightly, and then went dark. The sign had come. She ignored the new rush of blood coming down her face, her eyes disagreeing with her even more than normal. They had bled ever since she had come back to the Tower, and returned to the light of the Traveler. On the Moon, they had never bled. In the Darkness they had shown her what she had needed to know, and for that she was kept whole.

She let her fingers loosen their tight grip over the dark jewel, letting it float gently in her palm. She was a Guardian, and at the same time she was part Hive. The crystal rarely was comfortable with her. But it never strayed too far, not under the direct light given off by the Traveler. It still flickered with its inner color, the pale green reaching out to her skin. Eris slumped her shoulders, knowing that Oryx was still alive.

The Queen had failed. When Eris had told her of Oryx, she believed her. Unlike Zavala. Unlike Cayde-6. Eris had appealed to all but the Speaker. He was too absorbed in studying the Traveler, and in the politics of this city. He would be of no help to her. The Queen of the Awoken had long kept Eris as her agent at the Tower. It was only Eris' upbringing in the Reef that had kept her alive this long. She never wanted to become a Guardian. But the Techeuns told her that it would give her the strength needed to do what must be done.

They didn't mention that she would lose the ability to sleep. To taste food and water, to breathe and feel the air rushing into your body. Eris missed being able to eat. She missed being able to let her mind wander. Sleep never came any more, but that didn't mean that the subconscious failed to dream. The thoughts of her inner mind still bubbled to the top, letting old memories flare up. Nightmares could flash as her eyes shifted, or during conversations. Her stolen eyes had not assisted in that matter. They had their own horrific sights to share. At times their insights were like tentacles, lovingly wrapped around her mind and soul. Their corruption and slime were her friends, now. Her only true friends were the images that came into her mind. The Hive were all linked. They all had the same bio-organisms throughout their bodies, giving them direction and instructions. The eyes contained some of these, and at times Eris was given the instructions that the Acolyte she had taken these eyes from was supposed to receive.

The Hive knew she had their eyes. They knew she could see the writing upon the wall. They either did not care or could not comprehend it. Now all of them were terrified. The Hive had sent Crota, the Son of Oryx, to pillage the entire system. Now Oryx had come, to see what had become of his most loyal creation. The Hive had been witness to the death of Crota, and their screams and rage at his death had been exquisite. The Hive revelled in Death. It was sweet nectar to them, and the taste of blood and bleeding essence was one that made her saliva rush to her mouth, and her tongue tingle in anticipation.

She shook her head, not letting her mind deviate far. It was dangerous to let her thoughts wander. The one time she allowed herself to do so, she had come out of a dreamlike state, with blood on her lips and meat in her belly. It had given her eyes power, but she would never be able to look at a Human the same way again. She had consumed one of the old corpses from the failed invasion attempt on the Moon. The blood coming down from her eyes was bitter compared to the old corpse. After that she decided to rely on the crystals to guide her. Hey eyes carried too much potential for consequences.

Then the damned Guardian took her ship. Destroyed it. Crushed it in the face of Oryx's weapon. She saw through the eyes of the Hive, as her ship was destroyed by the oncoming wave. The feeling was dark with hate, and yet at the same time elation at the thought of the Guardian inside being killed. It wasn't as tangible as the death of the Awoken fleet, though. Eris had needed to excuse herself from her place that day, as her mind was filled with the images of death and suffering, of the tomb ships chasing down the few survivors trying to escape. The dead Ketches and bodies still drifting caused a chorus of screams, leaving Eris largely useless the rest of that day. Multiple days, it seemed. Only a few days later could she approach Commander Zavala and Ikora Rey. Cayde-6 deserved to pay for what he did to her ship, or at least replace it. She had hidden there most nights, letting the weepings from her eyes drain onto the floor of the ship. Decades of built up weepings had given her enough material to seal the inside of her ship against the light of the Traveler. Her eyes could be calm, and she could meditate without pain.

She saw the Guardian return. Without the remains or the idea of her ship. Invisible, she started stalking the figure as they went into the Vanguard command center. She was poised to strike from behind, her knife prepared. The Guardian had its ghost, and they were in the light of the Traveler. They would come back, but it would serve to demonstrate her feelings. She thought about how their blood would taste, to bite into their succulent… She shook her head, waving off the urge. As a part-Hive, she was sensitive to the rage that they felt. Normally under control, today she had experienced the loss of the only home she had known for decades. It was hard to separate the hatred she felt for the Guardian as being from her eyes or from her actual self.

"...Awkward conversation with Eris." She caught the tail end of whatever conversation had been occurring between the Guardian and Cayde-6. She debated which to follow, and decided on Cayde. He was the one behind this mess, after all. The Exo watched the Guardian leave, and then slumped into a chair at the table. She came out of her invisibility, and laid her hand upon the Exo's shoulder.

He _blinked_ upwards, grabbing onto one of the ceiling supports and holding his knife out in surprise. "Greetings." She said, letting her displeasure fully be known.

Cayde-6 dropped back to the ground, sheathing his knife and holding his arms out. "Eris! So glad we could have this chat. Is this about your shiny rock?"

"You stole my ship." She snarled. "You know that I have no ghost, and my ship was the only thing left from my time before the Moon." She stepped slowly into his space, his discomfort evident. "You let my ship die out there."

"We can get you another ship, Eris. We just needed that one specifically."

"What about my ship was so important, Cayde?"

"Well, we figured that the Hive would hesitate to fire on one of their own-" She hissed at this, the weepings from her eyes intensifying at the same time. "Woah! Yeah, obviously didn't work. But the stealth drive was supposed to work!" Cayde held up his hands as if warding off some sort of unwanted energy. "You, uh, got a chunk of goo coming down your cheek."

Eris hissed again. "That ship was my home! You took it from me!" She pointed a single finger at him. "You will give me your personal ship as compensation."

"Well, that sounds fair. It won't have a stealth drive, but it does have a few benefits." Cayde reached into his belt, coming back with a small ID card. His ghost peered over his shoulder, seemingly afraid of her. "Try not to paint it too ugly."

"My ship was forged in the tears of my eyes." She stated. "It will be reforged." Just to spite the Exo, she reached up to her cheek and used a couple of fingers to flick some of the weepings onto Cayde-6. "Tell the Guardian that the weapon must be disabled before Oryx dares to move closer to Earth. I will be preparing."

Cayde brushed the twitching black mass from his chest plate off. "Preparing for what?"

"Crota had something no Hive has ever been recorded to have had. An Oversoul. Oryx shall have more. I must go and discover how he can be killed."

Cayde-6 shrugged. "Ah, goodbye, then." He added quickly as she walked away.

Eris almost bit the neck of the dockmaster when she mentioned that Cayde-6's ship was on lockdown. With a hiss of rage, she turned around and started walking towards wherever Zavala was.

* * *

Rings of Saturn

Eris had watched as the weapon was disabled. The Dreadnaught wasn't going anywhere, now. It wouldn't risk going near Earth if the old Warmind could destroy it. With a sigh of relief, Eris moved into the field of debris. Torn Ketches, ruined fighters. Tomb ships and larger Hive Cruisers littered the field. A few tomb ships moved around, forming a patrol around the Dreadnaught. She ignored them, and they ignored her. This ship moved in ways that she wasn't used to, and had a much more efficient power source than her ship had ever been connected to.

She knew where the area she needed to be was. The Hive had already marked it for her. The ruined Ketch was covered in burnt paint, and the symbols of the Awoken covered it. Eris saw that the ship was in pieces. Nothing was secure. The Hive had already stripped it of any bodies. She slipped Cayde-6's ship into the broken bridge, and then had to anchor the ship and the debris together, to hold enough of it in place that she could accomplish her purpose. By manipulating the fields that the small jump ship put off, she pulled the broken pieces of the Ketch together, and the bridge was almost returned to its former shape. Minus atmosphere, of course.

Now it came down to the backup plan. Not the Queens, and not the Hive's. Eris slowly undid the wrappings on her eyes, the foreign presence in her mind elated at the thought of finally seeing as it was meant to. She blinked, the eyes having stopped bleeding the moment she passed the Reef. They might start, now that she had fully uncovered them. But the third eye was the most important. The one in her forehead was directly connected to her brain. Her 'normal' eyes could see motion in total darkness, and itched for hunting something. The third eye in her forehead rarely opened, and had its own wrapping to keep its eyelid closed. When that came off, she could see energy in all its forms, and space became distractingly beautiful. Radiation was like a rainbow, and the energy that was left behind by the firing of the Dreadnaught's weapon was like a symphony of light, and expression. She blinked, the disconcerting feeling of her third eye making the world flash bright and dark with every motion.

"Blood and Flesh contain that which the Dark cannot." Eris intoned. She drew her blade, the last thing left to her from her time as a normal Guardian. "The Future was determined by the dead. And the dead soldiers rise to keep it." She said, the creatures behind her eyes stopping their motion in her mind in response to her statement. Writings of Toland did that, she noticed. She could feel the third eye pause, the beast within it considering her words.

That was all she knew before the blade plunged into the eye. Into her forehead, yet not impacting her brain. The blade had plunged up to the hilt, yet she could not feel the point stabbing her forward lobes. She moved the blade downward, carving a wide line through the eye and revealing the shining metal interior. Metal, curving and blackened by time and weepings, glowed with something unearthly. She pulled the blade all the way to the left side of the eye, and finally felt the blade carve into the flesh of her natural skin. Before the wound could heal, she pulled the knife back, dragging the knife to the point where the entire eye was cut open. The black metal had started moving, lines running along it, and the eye opened within the dark slit.

" _So, it is time._ " A voice stated, coming from within her forehead. Eris grabbed the thrashing eyelid and pulled the hole open wider, until she could feel the metal slide out of the unnatural space in her mind. The beasts that infested her third eye came out, the small worms and black weepings thrashing on the floor of the jump ship as they burned themselves out. The metal hit the ground, the dull thump of the sphere the only thing she could focus on beyond the gaping wound in her forehead. Without her ghost, the wound would remain. Without her third eye, life was again colorless.

She only groaned, the wound letting loose all that was left of her third eye. The sphere finally had finished coming back to life, the Ghost coming to life and moving to her eye level. Its beam of light played across her skin, and the wound shut. Her eyes were weeping large rivulets of material, but they were not as important. They had not been placed to hide the presence of a Ghost hidden within her. Placed before she died, even. But her first death had been the only one that she had planned for. "Your chosen host is dead." She muttered. "She may be recovered."

"Your sacrifice was not in vain, Guardian. Your mind and body provided me with the knowledge that I needed. Though the Light of the Traveler now harms you, this is also my condition. Your time as a Guardian was meant to keep this shell from being corrupted. In this, we are both afflicted."

"Will you not be able to revive your host?"

" _My host and I shall be reunited. Your services are well recognized._ " The ghost finished its healing of Eris' forehead, leaving her numb and the world dull to her mind. Carefully, ever so carefully, she replaced her wrappings, the tendrils of panicked Hive in her mind crying out in pain as her eyes were once again restricted to a grainy view. She would never again trust herself with a gun. Hands shaking, she tied off the second wrapping and replaced her helmet. Her knife was covered in ash, and not the blood she expected. A single shake and it all fell off, the knife sterile even though she knew better.

The ghost left, entering the restored bridge in front of her, and its beam scanned the debris. Eris shivered, having spent much of the last decade surviving as the Hive did. She had eaten of their food, and taken of their essence. She was responsible for this corruption that had happened. But without her third eye, they would have never have been able to stop Crota. She shuddered again, wondering if that ghost had been corrupted by her more savage tendencies. Would it cause its host to crave the blood of others? Would they be able to handle it? Eris moaned in worry.

But it was too late for worry or action. She could see the telltale flash of light that came from the Awakening of a Guardian. She could see the body reform, with a layer of armor forming over the bones. The blood was never shown, and Eris suspected that the blood was never there. Guardians did not bleed blood. They bled light. She could see the form waver, until the armor formed completely over the feminine figure.

Before they died in the darkness of space, the figure was pulled inside the small jump ship. The ghost had access to her systems, as it knew all of her passwords. It knew her mind more intimately than the Hive ever did. She saw the chest of the Awoken rising up and down, her eyes blinking at the sudden movements, the light of the ship.

"My Queen." Eris said. "You have returned."

She coughed, flexing her arms as she came to a standing position behind the pilot's chair. "But, Oryx," She stated, already looking out of the window and realizing what had happened. "How was this done?"

"The Techeuns planned for you to survive." Eris said, not meeting her eyes. "Planned this eventuality before you took the throne."

Her Queen stared forward blankly, as her ghost materialized above her palm. " _Greetings, Little Mara_." The ghost was still blackened, and covered with small ridges where the Hive creatures had become too attached. The weepings from her eyes had reforged the Ghost as well, giving it the organic curves and unnatural twists that all Hive creations shared. " _I told you that you would one day become this_."

Mara Sov, the Queen of the Awoken, cried out. Eris knew her fury, and her rage. She was a Guardian now. A dead warrior serving a dead god. The ghost laughed darkly as she screamed, and along with Eris' moans, the sound within the cockpit sounded more like the warrens of the Hive than anywhere civil and normal.

* * *

Ceres-4

Mara had shown up at the Reef to chaos. No one knew what to do, and there had been attacks. The Wolves were in a full panic, and without ships, they had been taking anything they could get their hands on to allow them the ability to escape. They were truly without a Kell, now. The leadership of her people had come down to her Seven Paladins. Five of them were dead. All four admirals were dead, now. As well as her Paladin that controlled the Royal Guard. The remaining two Paladins controlled logistics and production among her people. They were not military leaders in any sense of the word. What was left of her once mighty fleet and military was shattered.

Her body didn't feel warm. It didn't feel the cold of windows that touched space, nor did it feel the warmth of her coat when she pulled it around herself. Her breathing was almost non existent, the time between her breaths long. If she was speaking, the time decreased. It was as if she did not need air for her internal organs, or rather she only needed air in order to speak. Her clothes did not feel the same. Her entire body had been reconstructed by her _Ghost_. Hers. No one else's.

It had been following her family since the Collapse. Now it never would have to wait for a host. She would forever live connected to it. It was now her life. Some of the Awoken had seen Eris' ship arrive. She knew most of the secret paths around Ceres-4, and was able to avoid the few remaining security personnel at the docks. Eris would survive. She knew what to say and who to share it with. As for her, she was not supposed to live. She was dead, and had fully accepted that. Oryx had won, and although she had hoped that her attempt to break his ship using the power of the Techeuns, she knew better. Deep in her heart she had known that Oryx would crush them.

But Earth was their silent hope. All Awoken had a connection to the world, and they lived on so little in the Reef. If Oryx had won, the Techeuns had told her, the Sun would have darkened and their people would have gone dark. To either survive and become like those that lived in the Jovians, or to die. She frowned at the thought of her people turning into the horrific creatures that lived in the Jovians now. So twisted that few could come to the Reef, for fear of the light. Few indeed could survive in it. The Reef needed it, though. For food and water, to maintain their little empire.

Her steps halted near her throne room. It was not empty.

"You will not sit in that chair, Raven!" That voice belonged to Tierre Jinos. One of the more influential Awoken. "The Queen is dead. The scouts have confirmed this!"

"I have not yet seen a body, Usurper. I am her brother, and I still sense her. She is not dead, but why she has not returned I do not know." Uldren. Her brother. Her only family left. The rest she had silenced herself. "I am the Raven, as you say it? Then trust me when I tell you that the Queen will not tolerate you within the bounds of her throne room."

Uldren was loyal. He trusted her. But he did not know everything. Some things were beyond even his mind. " _Aren't you going to go out there?_ " She scowled. The voice in her mind, her ghost. She didn't bother answering it. She simply stepped into the throne room, coming in behind the throne. Her guards still stood by it, faithful in that much at least. Uldren was in front, facing a few more of the Awoken. Standing at the head of the group was Jinos, and she could see one of the surviving Paladins behind her. Hallam Fen, a member of the house belonging to Tierre Jinos. She was selected to be one of the fleet commanders, and she had done a reasonable job with all of her existing political connections. Most of the time, when a Paladin was selected, it was because the monarch considered them a possible threat to their power.

Mara hadn't cared about Jinos and her ilk. They had numbers, but all of their ships and renovated living areas were on Ceres-4. They didn't have many places to hide anything from her. But to challenge her seat of power was daring, and if those ignorant fools were trying so openly, it may turn into open warfare before too long. Her Awoken would die if this happened. To Oryx, and to the Nine, and to the Fallen. She would not let that happen.

"Rumors of my return are not exaggerated." She said loudly, coming out from behind the throne. Her steps were measured, the pleasant sound of no one moving but herself truth in her actions. Her guards seemed in shock, as did everyone else. Uldren had the most fantastic look of shock and frustration on his face, she wanted it framed in a picture. "My Paladin. Raven. Speak of the Awoken." Hallam stepped forward, leaving Tienne to her own wits. Mara never addressed her. She was not welcome in the throne room, and she did not waste her breath. The woman left, quietly, with her entourage. Uldren watched her go just long enough to verify that she had actually left when he twisted to face her.

"My Queen." He offered, worry plain on his face. "Your Ketch was destroyed! We searched for you with the ships that survived!"

"I was saved by the mercy of the Techeuns." It was technically true. "I was sent to the dimension that the Hive call home. Eris Morn recovered me from that place before I was lost to their hatred." The Techeun Witches were an unknown to most Awoken. Their powers had limits, but it was well known that much of their powers and abilities had been ripped directly from the minds of Hive wizards. Perhaps that was why their Harbinger weapons had failed. The pure power of the Void had not even damaged Oryx's ship.

"We did not know. Our failure to secure you from that place is our undoing." Paladin Fen stated. She was coming to her senses, and supporting her Queen again. But Mara doubted that she ever had Fen's true loyalty. It was the nature of her Paladins that they were not fully trusted. But they all feared her. She had learned from the Techeuns and others, and then silenced or exiled any who knew the true nature of her knowledge. Her mind was connected to the Void. The Void had answered her.

"You did not fail, Paladin. But it is said that my people are in panic. I hold you responsible for calming them. While you are doing so, please alert Petra Venj of my presence. She is required." Hallam Fen left, awe plain on her face. Then the only ones in the room remaining were the two guards and Uldren. "Leave us. Your only concern should be to keeping the peace." The royal guards were not used to this idea, and it actually took a glare from her before they left. Then it was just her and Uldren.

He walked up to the throne, grasping her arm and helping her sit down. His eyes searched over her form, looking for evidence and proof that she was his sister. His Queen. "You should have waited longer." Uldren said. "You look terrible."

"What do you mean?" She looked down at her skin, seeing that the color was visibly draining from it. Thick veins were showing up on her skin, her hands cracking in places. She shoved them behind her back. "Ah. This is expected." She was falling apart! Never had she heard of this happening to a Guardian! Her ghost did appear somewhat broken, however. Or infected by the Hive.

"What happened to you?" Uldren asked.

"Even though you are my brother, I would not burden you with this knowledge. You would regret knowing."

"Ah." He said, eyes still searching her for signs of trouble. "Tell us what we need to do. We cannot afford to lose you again." Again? She could die hundreds of times, now. So long as her ghost lived on, so would she. Forever bound to die and come back, as they did. But of all the people that she could trust out here, her brother was the one she expected to have the most amount of understanding for her situation.

"Uldren Sov. Do you promise to keep what you see sealed behind your lips for the rest of your life?" Her brother's eyes shifted, almost as if she was threatening him. Then again, the last time she had called him by his given name had been when he had screwed up with Skolas.

"My blood belongs to the Void, dear sister. I have promised my life to you." He intoned. "My lips are sealed."

She held open her palm, ignoring the dry patch of skin over her thumb. "Come out, burden." Her Hive infested ghost appeared above her palm, taking a moment to look around the room. Uldren nearly hissed in disgust.

" _I have followed your family since the Collapse, Uldren Sov. Your sister walked through the Void long before you were ever born. It should not be a surprise that I chose her from among you._ " The sickly green light rested above her palm, secure in its position. Of course it would be, as if she tried anything it would just lead to her end. " _Your sister has little time left, as it stands._ "

"Explain." She told it. She clenched her hand, some of the skin of her hand falling off and glittering as it fell apart.

" _You are bound to the light. As I am. This Reef of yours is too far from the Traveler to support you. Before you died, your mind knew the Void. Now you are stronger, and the power of that realm is expressed in your every deed. Your blood is gone, replaced by light. You must go to the Traveler, else you will be a pile of dust before long. Of course, that is until I revive you. Even if I must drift through the depths of space, I will revive you. Your fate is bound to mine._ " She shuddered at that. Uldren's lips were curled in disgust.

"The Techeuns came up with this? Now you are one of _them_. An abomination that sits on the throne of the Awoken!" He clenched his fist, stepping back from her. "What would you need to survive, then?"

" _Motes of light, recovered from the Traveler's enemies, would suffice. When I revived you, I gave of my light in order to create your entire form. Your armor was created from the same, and is not actually constructed to replicate the original's function. Break down that, and I should be able to maintain your form longer._ " Her ghost answered. " _Perhaps days."_

Days. She had days before she had to go to Earth. She had never been there, and besides a single trip to Jupiter in her youth, she had not left the Reef. She could feel her body falling apart. It was a tense feeling, a loosening of loose skin and muscle as the connections between started breaking. Small specks of light came off of her thumb as she rubbed it against her pointer finger. "Fetch me some of the supply meant to trade with Xur." She told him. "Leave enough for the normal payments."

"I'll have my agents gather them within the hour." Uldren said. "As well as bring you some food." He gave her another look, this time schooling his features. "I shall alert all of the Awoken that their Queen has returned. Perhaps you should leave before the Coven learn of your survival."

There was a sinking feeling in her gut. All but one of their most powerful weapons, the Harbingers, had been lost against Oryx. Three of their seven Techeuns had died. All of them were not replaceable. Worse, after she had deployed the Harbingers, their power had been too much for her. She had lost control of them at the very end. Perhaps something was left of their energies, but she doubted they would fall under the control of the Awoken again. She did not want to address them at this time.

But there were more pressing concerns. She stepped behind the throne, taking the short passageway to her personal quarters. There she removed the Ghost-created armor, and held it out to the small sphere. It consumed the pieces of material, converting the matter into light particles, which sank into its exposed lines of power. It's green eye brightened as it absorbed the energy, and her skin knit itself back together. Nodding to herself, she pulled on one of her spare sets of gear. It felt more normal, to have something real against her skin. The crystals taken from the Void touched her skin, caressing her energies and greeting her like an old friend. Her sigh of relief was short lived, however. Her ghost dove back under her skin, entering it like it was a doorway. She scowled at that.

Behind her, the door opened. It admitted Petra Venj, yet she was not alone. All four of the Techeuns walked into her personal quarters with her, their robes not making a sound as they walked. Petra looked sorrowful, as if it was her fault that they were here.

"It lives." Illyn stated. She had a large purple jewel across her brow, marking her as the head of the Coven. "As planned."

"You knew what was to occur in that battle." Mara stated. "You foresaw our defeat."

"The Void trembles at the touch of Oryx. It did not know of our success or defeat. It only hoped that we would succeed." Illyn said. "The Void itself is damaged, where Oryx steps. He is beyond its comprehension."

"So you planned for this?"

"You are not the first to be turned into an abomination. Nor the last." Illyn warned. "The latest tool was Eris, who failed in her purpose. She was never supposed to allow her ghost to pass. Nor become infected by the Hive's rotting essence. But that is something you will have to deal with. As well as the lost Harbingers."

"I felt them become loose, as they approached Oryx." She said, remembering. "They fought against my control, and I was not able to direct them fully."

"They felt fear. Something more powerful than them. The Harbingers have an intelligence, of a sort. Oryx took them, just as he has been taking our captured Fallen and Vex inside the Prison of Elders." Illyn stated. With her mask and robes it was impossible to tell her intentions. "This Oryx will be our end, if he is not put down. Thankfully, we have created an abomination that cannot be corrupted."

" _It_ shall destroy him." One of the other members of the Coven said. "If _it_ wants its throne back, Oryx must first be killed. Our Harbingers restored to us. Our glory not extinguished. We have dreamt of this future. You will make it so."

"Or die making our reality fully realized." Illyn finished. "Consider this your exile, abomination. Take what you must, and leave. We are the authors of your creation. We shall hold the keys to your throne until you are clothed in the whispers of the Void again." With that, the entire Coven left her quarters. Only Petra remained. She looked apologetic.

"They were waiting at the doors, My Queen." She apologized. "They let themselves in. When I heard that you had returned, I doubted it, yet…"

"I don't care for your complaints. You work directly with the Guardians, still?"

"Yes, they still are hunting some of the Silent Fang, the ones that didn't get wiped out with Skolas. As well as-"

"Forget the Wolves. Focus on Oryx. If you hear anything about Oryx's lieutenants leaving his Dreadnaught, no matter how far down the chain, I want a bounty on their heads. I want him _hurting_. Make him bleed."

"I can do that. Anything else, My Queen?"

"Keep our forces organized, Paladin Venj." So few of her people left who she could trust. "I will hold you responsible for any failures." She was still Queen. They would not refuse her ability to call more Paladins from her people. Nor would they be able to stop her from calming down the chaos. She wasn't even fully paying attention when Petra left the room, and Uldren replaced her.

"I brought some things for you. Considering I saw those tech witches on my way in, I assume there has been some sort of trouble." Uldren most likely heard the entire conversation. "As such, I have brought you more than just the bare minimums." He brought out a small bag of glittering motes of light, which her Ghost salivated at. She summoned the infested sphere, letting it soak up the light specks. Uldren sneered at the sphere, but laid out more items. "Some armor from your Royal Guard. I thought you might prefer to avoid notice here in the Reef. As for going to Earth, I've prepared one of the Hildian Seekers for you. As well as some of the weapons we have in the barracks."

A pulse rifle sat next to the weapons, along with a side arm and a larger pistol. Her marks were over all of them, yet she did not know their specialties. She did not know their names. She plucked the smallest of them up from the pile, holding it by the bottom of the stock between thumb and pointer finger. She was disgusted. She had never needed weapons, not when the caress of the Void was enough. With a sigh she holstered it, a small strap appearing to hold it courtesy of her ghost. Another appeared for her other weapons, leaving her with a pistol holster on each hip and her large rifle on her back. It felt _wrong_. With the armor of the Royal Guard, and weapons adorned with her symbol, she at least could take comfort in that.

"Here is a supply of their currency." Uldren said, handing her a small pouch. The insides glittered. "They call it Glimmer. Petra had no shortage of the stuff. I can at least trust that you will be comfortable there."

"I am a corpse, brother. I have no need of comfort. Allies, however, I am sure I will need." She shoved the helmet on her head, the entire setup uncomfortable. It took away the feeling of space, the ultimate luxury in the Reef. "I shall return soon. Use the postmaster to send messages to me."

"If I hear anything, I will tell you." Uldren promised. "Also, take this. One of your Royal Amethysts. Not stable enough to become a new Focus, but certainly enough to bribe anyone who learns too much." She gave Uldren a look, and nodded.

"It has been a very long time since I flew a ship." She said. Uldren choked back a snort. "Alert me of the needs of our people."

" _I can pilot your ship for you. All of this technology is based on the Traveler, as it stands. You can meditate on your new status as an abomination while I do all the real work._ " Her ghost said, entering her chest cavity as if her armor did not exist. " _The Traveler may bring us what we need to survive, but we both know where we will have to go to find the real answers._ " It laughed, a broken sound. " _Child of darkness and light, a daughter of two worlds. I cannot wait to see how you do._ "

* * *

The Tower

Mara landed at the Tower, an obnoxious construction that was in the worst tactical location. It was right on the front lines of the city's defenses, and would be the first to get struck. It wasn't behind layers of defenses or had duplicate towers or buildings to use as cover. It was not built as a defense so much as a symbol. She would respect that normally, yet the people of this city had a much larger and much more active symbol above them. Her ship received landing codes, and her ghost landed them like it had been a born pilot. She did not offer it any kind of thanks or compliment for it.

" _I assume you want to hide me until you are ready to show yourself?_ "

"No." She replied. "They will all know that I share their state of being soon enough. Better to do so on my terms." Its broken chuckle was its only response. She waited for the ship to land completely before opening the canopy, and stepped down to the ground.

"You're old fashioned, ain'tcha?" She blinked, and found herself staring at a blonde Human female, who was wearing some kind of greasy uniform. "Most people just warp out of the ship when it's on approach."

"I'm different." She stated, seeing plainly written directions letting anyone who made it to this level of the tower find their way. This place had no concept of internal defense. If the Cabal ever hit this tower, it would fall. They would have helpful little messages and maps directing them to all of the most sensitive locations that the Guardians valued. She passed an airlock of sorts, but it didn't even have a single guard, living or not, to manage it. It looked more like a decoration than an actual security feature.

Then she was walking through a tall doorway, and its shadow only went a couple feet further. Then it was brightly lit. She knew exactly what created that light, and didn't know what it would do to her. So she stopped, sitting there to stare at it. Her ghost drifted into her line of vision, but not into the light. " _Do you still fear death?_ "

"I fear what may become of my mind, if I step forward."

" _You are a child of two worlds. Even the Traveler will respect that. To be fair, if the Traveler would have rewritten your mind and memories, it would have been when we first bonded. It would not wait for you to lay your eyes upon it when it could have done so as it ripped your essence from the Aether and bonded it to me._ " She glared at the sphere. " _Fear not, Guardian of two worlds. Others do not share your luck of still knowing whom they fight for._ "

Mara Sov did not bow. She stood firm against Oryx, and died for it. A broken moon would not break her now. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, letting the light hit her directly. She could feel very little change. She flinched when her ghost dove into her torso, and then came back out the other side. Everything here felt doubly bright, with the light of the sun shining upon every surface, and reflecting from it. Then the light of the Traveler, reflecting from a different direction, made her eyes sting. Even with her helmet on it was uncomfortable. She looked around at this tower, seeing a few locations that could be defensible. But there were more guns and walking corpses here than she had ever seen in one place before.

Ghosts gossipped with each other as much as their Guardians spoke around each other. Hers pointedly avoided the others, staying at her shoulder. She walked past a group of three Guardians, each having a small pile of weapons in front of them. They were motioning to each individual pile, but not in any way that made it seem as if they were trading. She walked past them, garnering some looks. In the middle of the massive courtyard at the top of the tower was a set of stairs leading downwards. The shape of this place pulled all movement towards it, and so she followed the crowd. The stairs led to a blissfully shaded area, where she took a moment to take cover.

"The third eye comes into my sight again!" Mara twisted, void essence gathered in her hand. Instead of the expected attack, she saw Eris Morn standing there. She was in the midst of some pleasantly musky candles. Candles were signs of welcome among the Awoken. They didn't take precious power to maintain. She had some green glowing urn at her feet, and her now two glowing eyes weeped dark trails down her face. "An unexpected gift to see you both again."

"Eris." She stated. "We have come seeking answers." She also liked being alive.

"My experiences are yours to ask after. Ask your questions."

"Tell me how Oryx survived my best forces."

Eris nodded, holding up the small green crystal that she seemed so obsessed with. "His ship, it is not dead, nor is it crafted. It was shaped in the realm that is known to the Hive, and then forced a place for itself in our own realm. It does not have to obey the laws that govern us, nor does it become damaged, so long as part of it exists in another place. The will of Oryx is such that as long as this connection is maintained, then His will enforces the shape of his instruments."

"There must be something anchoring that connection, then." She noted. "The Hive have used such anchors in the past for some of their great and powerful leaders." Eris had told her of Crota, long ago.

"Crota's soul was in multiple pieces, My …" Eris stopped to consider her words. She almost revealed her identity, at that point. "His soul was anchored on both sides, one to allow him to manifest here, and the other to prevent his death in any event. Both anchors were maintained by numerous Witches. I suspect that something that Oryx has also anchors his will to his ship. Something beyond a simple blade, such as the Knights use to anchor themselves."

"So we couldn't simply strip his blade from him, then." Mara muttered.

"Were it so easy, the Hive themselves would challenge his rule. No, something more must be anchoring him to this world. Or ours to his. What little I know of him comes from all that his son had. I was not there when Crota fell, but my eyes saw as all Hive see, and enough Hive were present to see Crota and his Oversoul be destroyed. I wept for days in joy, while my eyes only reflected the shock and pain of his death."

"I shall seek this, but the Void agrees." Indeed, the presence of the Void and its whispers clearly agreed with Eris' statement. The void caressed her mind, promising so much power, if she but gave in. All power comes with a price. All knowledge has a consequence. Eris had paid many prices. "Tell me of Oryx's ship. I must board it."

Eris hissed. "The weapon is disabled. You may approach now, but the interior is filled with Hive and the Taken. Servants of Oryx that are forcefully stolen from their natural states. Cabal, Fallen, even the Vex have been turned into these creatures. They will try to stop you."

"We shall see." She said. "Tell me of Warlocks." She knew that she was one such abomination. She spoke to the void in life, and in death and her cursed rebirth the void had not yet ceased in speaking to her.

"Just down this hallway, you shall find a Human by the name of Ikora Rey. She directs the Warlocks among the Guardians. I know of some things, such as the need for a Warlock Bond. Something to tie you to your element. Something to connect you to your power. Every Warlock here at the tower uses them to strengthen their power."

She did not need any bond with the void. It sang to her, with the ever standing promises of power in exchange for her essence. She was close enough to it to keep from risking coming closer. "I will speak to her."

The end of the hall was lit by normal lights, and were a comfort to her. At the Reef, the natural light of Sol kept everything lit up. powered lights were only in places where they needed to be, and not where people desired them to be. Here they felt warm and natural. The room they lit up was dominated by a single table, and around it sat many Guardians. Three persons of interest sat between the groups, one of whom was an Awoken. He was wearing armor that looked like it had been ripped off a starship's plating and reshaped around the man. Unyielding as stone, it seemed. No one spoke jokingly around him. A Human stood to the side, the energies of the void swirling around her. A Warlock, then. Lastly there was an Exo, something that she was quite unfamiliar with. He was regaling some group of Guardians about some story or another.

She advanced on the Human, her eyes painted with color and her head devoid of long hair. Her skin was dark, but not unpleasantly so. When she arrived in front of her, the woman looked up. Her eyes registered her ghost first, and then her armor. Her eyebrow lifted slightly in interest. "Hello, I don't think we've met before. Are you a new Guardian?"

"Yes." She answered simply. "Though I come with questions."

"You're a warlock, then, for certain. Where did your ghost find you?"

"Saturn." She said. "The rings are filled with the dead." This would give her an advantage. These Guardians were all from the Earth, perhaps as far as Venus and Mars. She would have an advantage over them. They would want her experiences, and place her in more important roles. They would have no choice, not with Oryx so near. "I was only dead a few days, as I understand it."

The Human blinked, and whatever she said Mara did not catch, as the rowdy group of Guardians near them shouted at something the Exo said. Ikora frowned. "Come on, I can show you the ropes. Your armor isn't even meant for a Guardian."

Mara did not like how she casually dismissed the most powerful armor that the Awoken fielded. "This armor is of extremely high quality."

"This armor is meant for those who don't have Ghosts. Nor will it survive the forces of the Void that you are going to be releasing. Here, I'll show you." She grabbed Mara's hand, and held the palm open. "The first steps that any Warlock should follow is to know how to use the Void as a defense and a weapon. Gather the energy that flows through you into your palm, and try to push it towards the ceiling."

This was basic for anyone who had touched the Void. Mara didn't just push it towards the ceiling, she sent a small wave of power into the area around her, pushing all of the loose dust and chairs away. Ikora was barely moved, but her body was lit up with a small shield. She frowned in response. "As part of the Awoken, we know much. I am not some young nothing."

She shrugged. "Alright, then. I'll assume you know enough about your abilities then. I'll break down how things work for Guardians here. You are your own agent, but we expect you to perform tasks to assist in the retaking of territory and resources from the enemies of mankind. The Vanguard will offer bounties and payment for services performed, and will especially reward those who are willing to go to other planets to fight against our more entrenched enemies."

"So we are some sort of military, then?"

The woman chuckled. "Not really. Warlocks generally question reality. Most of us just investigate the Void, the stars, and the Traveler. Not in that order, of course. The Hunters and Titans are usually eager to leave the tower and go reclaim territory, but for Warlocks they generally enjoy calm lives. The real reason, I feel, for the rewards is to get the Warlocks out of their meditation and using their abilities to fight our enemies." Hmm. That was promising. She may avoid working among the common Guardian and laborer without much trouble. "But when something gets weird, the Warlocks are the first on the scene. If the enemy fields some new weapon, or something is outside of their normal activities, that is what we look into. Much of what we do comes back to the Tower, and after a few decades most of us retire, become Cryptarchs, something like that."

"The Reef's Cryptarchs are chosen from birth." Mara stated. "I want to know about Oryx."

Ikora frowned at that. "I am not allowing any of us on his damned ship until we have some sort of forward base or secure location. You're ghost is weak enough that you wouldn't last two minutes in that place. I might not have much control over where you can go, but Warlocks are forbidden from going to Oryx's ship until the situation changes." She glanced over at the heavily armored Awoken that stood in the middle of the room. "Commander Zavala agrees. I recommend that you discover what you are capable of before I allow you access."

Mara did not like this woman. She was too afraid of what was beyond her sight. She took off her helmet, her ghost sucking it into its greedy maw as soon as it was off of her head. She glared at Ikora, letting her full weight and presence settle. The woman was unmoved, and she didn't seem to care about her. Then again, Mara made sure that her face was largely unknown outside of the Reef. "I ask that you reconsider. I died against him. I will take down the abomination."

Ikora shook her head. "His main gun might be disabled, now, but that does not mean that we can safely deploy. Commander Zavala has restricted Guardian operations beyond the Reef until further notice. Take up your case with him, if you feel so driven. When you have finished your fool's errand, I have some projects that would benefit from your experience."

Mara turned around, and ignored the Human's words. Zavala was next, and he saw her coming. "Yes, Guardian?" He asked politely. She had earned herself an audience, as the Exo and his group of listeners paid her some attention.

"I need you to allow me access to the Dreadnaught. You have a way of getting Guardians onboard. I need access." The Awoken regarded her as if she was nothing. She knew that because she did the same to anyone that asked things of her that she did not want to give them. "Negative, Warlock. That area is not secure, nor is it safe for any of you and your ilk to deploy to. Until the Titans and Hunters have secured a beachhead, you may not deploy to that starship. I will alert Ikora Rey when the Warlocks are allowed to deploy." His voice was resolute as stone. Uldren would get along with him. So would Petra. But at this point he was useless to her. She gave him a glare and walked off, not looking back at these useless Guardians. They did not have the courage to face Oryx. Living under the light of the Traveler had made them weak.

She took shelter in the hallway that led to the stairs. The light from the two sources was too bright for her to go out there without a helmet on. "Give me back my helmet." She said.

" _Of course. Once you find any form of material I can convert it to its component pieces. Some items I can store as their completed forms. As a ghost, it is my most basic function to be able to convert matter to other forms._ " Her helmet formed around her head, making her blink. " _Nothing can be stolen from you while I am bonded to you._ " No wonder the Guardians were so carefree with their weapons and gear. They literally could not lose it.

"Hey, Miss?" She turned, seeing the Exo from the table behind her. "I couldn't help but hear about your troubles."

"You have a solution, I presume."

"I can point you in the right direction. Zavala refuses to let anyone go to that ship out there, but that isn't to say that he stops all missions. There are a few Guardians that we trust to go into tough environments. One of them is the Guardian we've trusted to get on board Oryx's ship. If you were to go with them, you could go anywhere they do." The Exo smirked. "I haven't seen Ikora so steamed about a new Guardian for a long time. Since… well, you'll get to meet them. Cayde-6, by the way. I never caught your name."

"I did not share it." She let her gaze travel across him. He showed no discomfort. "Where might I find this Guardian?"

Cayde-6's eyebrow plates lifted. "Right there." At the top of the stairs, silhouetted from above and behind, was a Guardian. Mara couldn't see any details about them, not with the blighted light of the Traveler coming from behind. The sun's light above was just enough to blind her to anything else.

Yet that weapon was familiar. So was that armor, and that swagger in their step. She recognized this one. The only one that deserved recognition.

* * *

Author's Note

This is an idea that I have been rolling around in my head for a while. A Destiny story that will hopefully be fun for you guys as much as for me. As such, I won't be the one deciding who the Guardian is. You guys will. I want to see what was popular for you, and what classes you found the most entertaining. So go vote in my new poll, and pick the details about the Guardian.

I've been playing Destiny with a lot of dedicated buddies. They all were doing the raids when each one came out. So I have been paying close attention to a lot of what has been going on. Let me know in Review or PM what you guys would like talked about or addressed in this story.


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